50mm f/1.8 depth of field
On a full-frame camera, a 50 mm lens at f/1.8 focused at 3 m (9.84 ft) is sharp from 2.82 m to 3.20 m (38 cm deep). Hyperfocal distance: 46.3 m (152 ft).
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Leave empty to use the standard value for the sensor. Halve it for pixel-level sharpness.
With a 50 mm lens at f/1.8 on full frame focused at 3.00 m, everything from 2.82 m to 3.20 m is acceptably sharp: 38 cm of depth of field.
- In front of subject
- 18 cm (47%)
- Behind subject
- 20 cm (53%)
- Hyperfocal distance
- 46.3 m
- Circle of confusion
- 0.030 mm
The "nifty fifty"
The 50 mm f/1.8 is the most popular first prime lens: cheap, light and far brighter than a kit zoom. At 3 m the sharp zone is about 40 cm — perfect for a head-and-shoulders portrait with a blurred background.
On an APS-C camera the same lens frames like a 75–80 mm portrait lens; the table below shows how the depth of field changes on each format.
50mm f/1.8 depth of field table (full frame)
| Focus distance | Near limit | Far limit | Depth of field |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 cm1.64 ft | 50 cm1.62 ft | 50 cm1.66 ft | 9.7 mm0.38 in |
| 1.00 m3.28 ft | 98 cm3.21 ft | 1.02 m3.35 ft | 4.1 cm1.6 in |
| 1.50 m4.92 ft | 1.45 m4.77 ft | 1.55 m5.08 ft | 9.4 cm3.7 in |
| 2.00 m6.56 ft | 1.92 m6.30 ft | 2.09 m6.85 ft | 17 cm6.6 in |
| 3.00 m9.84 ft | 2.82 m9.25 ft | 3.20 m10.5 ft | 38 cm1.26 ft |
| 5.00 m16.4 ft | 4.52 m14.8 ft | 5.60 m18.4 ft | 1.08 m3.55 ft |
| 10.0 m32.8 ft | 8.23 m27.0 ft | 12.7 m41.8 ft | 4.51 m14.8 ft |
The same lens on other sensors (focused at 3 m)
Same lens, same distance — smaller sensors frame tighter and use a smaller circle of confusion.
| Sensor | Frames like | Near limit | Far limit | Depth of field |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full frame | 50 mm | 2.82 m | 3.20 m | 38 cm |
| APS-C (1.5×) | 77 mm | 2.88 m | 3.13 m | 26 cm |
| Canon APS-C (1.6×) | 81 mm | 2.88 m | 3.13 m | 24 cm |
| Micro Four Thirds | 100 mm | 2.91 m | 3.10 m | 19 cm |
| 1-inch | 137 mm | 2.93 m | 3.07 m | 14 cm |
| Medium format (44×33) | 40 mm | 2.78 m | 3.26 m | 49 cm |
Hyperfocal distance at other apertures
| Aperture | Full frame | APS-C (1.5×) | Micro Four Thirds |
|---|---|---|---|
| f/2 | 41.7 m | 62.5 m | 83.4 m |
| f/2.8 | 29.8 m | 44.7 m | 59.6 m |
| f/4 | 20.9 m | 31.3 m | 41.7 m |
| f/5.6 | 14.9 m | 22.4 m | 29.8 m |
| f/8 | 10.5 m | 15.7 m | 20.9 m |
| f/11 | 7.63 m | 11.4 m | 15.2 m |
| f/16 | 5.26 m | 7.86 m | 10.5 m |
FAQ
How much depth of field does a 50mm f/1.8 lens have?
On full frame, focused at 3 m, the sharp zone runs from 2.82 m to 3.20 m (38 cm deep). At 1 m it is 4.1 cm. Depth of field grows roughly with the square of the distance.
What is the hyperfocal distance of a 50mm lens at f/1.8?
46.3 m (152 ft) on full frame (c = 0.030 mm) and 69.5 m (228 ft) on APS-C. Focus there and everything from half that distance to infinity is acceptably sharp.
Is depth of field different with 50mm f/1.8 on an APS-C camera?
With the same lens at the same distance, APS-C gives slightly less depth of field (26 cm at 3 m) because of its smaller circle of confusion — but it frames like a 77 mm lens. To match the full-frame framing you would step back, which increases depth of field.
Related lenses
- 35 mm f/1.8Everyday and environmental portraits
- 35 mm f/8"f/8 and be there"
- 50 mm f/1.4Low light and shallow focus
- 50 mm f/8Groups, products and cityscapes
Learn how aperture, distance and focal length interact in depth of field explained.